JDM: What it is and what it does

JDM is Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Big word, I know. But basically this is an autoimmune disease where the body's defense is attacking the body rather than bacteria and viruses.JDM is unique in that is causes a skin rash and muscle weakness caused by inflammation or swelling in blood vessels under the skin and in the muscles called vasculitis.

The rash is reddish purple that can show up on the eyelids and cheeks and can be easily mistaken as allergies. This is fact, is the first sign of the disease. Unlike dermatomyositis in adults which can cause horrible sores, children get only the rash as their skin symptom.Some children do get weakness before the rash. They can get rashes also on the knees, feet, elbows, hands.

They still unfortunately get muscle weakness. It shows up in the proximal areas of the body such as the neck, shoulders, back and stomach. This causes them to have difficulty standing after sitting down, they fall a lot, have a weak voice at times. It also causes them to have contractures which means the joints shorten and stiffen up. They also complain of severe stomach aches. Fifty percent of children with this disease experience extreme pain.

Other symptoms  sometimes experienced are calcinosis where lumps and sheets of calcium grow under the skin, tiredness and moodiness.

With this illness comes a long regimen of medications and specialists to look at each system of the body due to the side effects of the drugs as well as the illness itself. Its a hard battle for both the child and the parents. Now the question is:
Is there a cure?
No, not yet. There's not enough funding. Or even knowledge of this disease.

Check out these two pages of children with the illness currently:

https://www.facebook.com/AddiesAngels
https://www.facebook.com/FletchVsJdm

For more info please visit:
http://www.curejm.com/
http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=37

Undifferentiated Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Payton's Story

I will be honest and say that I tried to find more info on this type of cancer but it's complicated because it's different for everyone. So for this week's entry, I am going to use what I know of Payton, this week's Child of the Week, as well as the Birthday girl 5/25 (So excited!)

So here we go:

Payton Martinez was born last year on 5/25. When she was nearly 6 months old she was diagnosed with undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma in her abdomen. This cancer is prevalent in that area. Two tumors one 13 cm and the other 6 cm were taking over her body. The 6 cm was also wrapping around her ovary.

They acted fast and she had a major abdominal surgery that left her in ICU for 4 days. The surgeons removed the 6cm tumor as well as her left ovary and fallopian tube but they couldn't completely remove the 13 cm tumor and were only able to remove about 90% of it.

Right now she is doing chemotherapy. It's pretty complicated since she does chemo once a week as an outpatient at Dell Children facility where she lives and then on the 3rd week of every month she gets admitted into the hospital for 3 different chemo drugs.

Recently in February of this year she had an MRI done and they found no cancer left in her body but she still has to do, as of now at least 8 more weeks of chemo. If she is still cancer free then no radiation therapy afterward. But if she does, then there will be radiation treatments.

I have to say, from reading her page and reading the progress on this baby. She is so positive and so happy. And her mom stays so positive. I cant even imagine how she does it, but she does. I know that I am believing in prayer that God will give Payton for her birthday and cancer free bill of health for the rest of her life.

Please take a look at this angel's page:

https://www.facebook.com/prayersforpreciouspayton

And send her some birthday wishes and some likes!

Thanks for reading!